FTCE Professional Education Practice Exam

What type of assessment allows students to respond to a demanding task through various formats such as oral, written, or product construction?

1. Standardized assessment

2. Performance assessment

3. Norm-referenced assessment

4. Formative assessment

The correct answer is: Performance assessment

Performance assessment is the type of assessment that enables students to demonstrate their understanding and skills by engaging in tasks that require active demonstration of knowledge. It allows for a variety of response formats, such as oral presentations, written reports, or the creation of physical products. This flexibility caters to diverse learning styles and allows for authentic assessment of student capabilities in real-world contexts. Performance assessments typically focus on higher-order thinking skills and can help educators gauge not only what students know, but also how they apply knowledge in practical situations. This is particularly valuable in helping students engage in critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving, as they are often tasked with projects or presentations that necessitate comprehensive understanding and application of concepts. In contrast, standardized assessments are usually uniform tests designed to measure student performance against a specific set of criteria nationally or statewide, which do not provide the same breadth of response options. Norm-referenced assessments compare a student's performance to a norm group rather than assessing the actual mastery of content. Formative assessments are generally ongoing assessments conducted during the learning process to monitor student understanding and inform instruction, but they don't specifically focus on performance tasks.